Similarities Between Dick And Fahrenheit 451

As German philosopher Karl Marx theorized, “the history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles” (Bottomore). These struggles have roots in the obvious division between opposing social classes defined by ownership of property, driven by the desire to dominate and alienate the commonalty. Eventually, the oppressed revolts against the elite, frequently with the guidance of an intellectual. This ideology is a major topic in the school of thought known as Marxism. This theory can be used to critically examine certain works, such as novels Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K. Dick and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. These novels can be analyzed using the Marxist lens, since both works deal with commodification,

The proletariat will eventually rise against the bourgeoisie under the guidance of the intellectuals. In the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the Nexus-6 androids escaping Mars is a representation of the revolution in attempt of the proletariat to defeat the controlling bourgeoisie. Garland, one of the android refugees, expands on the motive behind the androids’ escape by stating, “It’s a chance anyway, breaking free and coming here to Earth” (Dick, 122). Rick Deckard also displayed an evidence of rebellion against the societal norm constructed by the bourgeoisie. His assignment to “retire” six escaped androids is primarily fueled by the desire to earn sufficient money in order to purchase a living animal. However, as his encounter with the androids progresses, he begins to doubt his beliefs. When asked if he thinks of the androids as “it”, Rick responded, “When my conscience occasionally bothered me about the work I had to do; I protected myself by thinking of them that way, but now I no longer find it necessary” (Dick, 125). Rick develops empathy towards man-made creations; not only androids, but also artificial animals. Eventually, he settles for an electric animal instead of an authentic one, proclaiming “The electric things have their lives, too. Paltry as those lives are” (Dick, 241). Rick challenged the norm that one’s status in society is dictated by the type of animal they own. In Fahrenheit 451, the proletariat executed a revolution to overthrow the bourgeoisie with the aid of an intellectual. When Guy encountered an eccentric 17-year-old girl named Clarisse and witnessed an old woman burn herself alive along with her beloved books, he began to rethink his conditioned views about books. He struggled with confusion due to these thoughts and eventually sought guidance from an old intellectual named Faber. Faber